Opening quote: "'Perhaps some accident has befallen him,' said the king, and the next day he sent out two more huntsmen who were to search for him." A man, Ian Harmon is pursued by Edgar Waltz, a member of the Verrat, a Wesen organization. Harmon is shot but survives, leaving a bag, which Waltz takes. Waltz later visits Renard for help but he refuses. While Nick and Hank investigate the shooting, Rosalee is visited by a wounded Ian, asking for help. Waltz kills a bartender, framing Ian for the murder. While questioning him, Nick discovers he's a Hundjäger. When Rosalee and Monroe asks Nick for help in saving Ian, Nick holds him at gunpoint. Ian manages to prove his innocence. Later that night, Nick discovers the Verrat killed Wesen without a trial and is then contacted by Waltz, asking for a "friedenreden" in exchange for bringing him Ian. Nick makes Waltz admit to the murder of the bartender and gives the evidence to Hank and Renard. They then use Rosalee as a bait to lure Waltz in. The plan backfires and Waltz holds Rosalee at gunpoint, threatening to kill her if they don't bring Ian to him. Nick and Monroe distract Waltz so Nick and Ian can hold Waltz at gunpoint. However, Ian kills Waltz, claiming that he will send more after him. Nick tells Monroe to dispose of Waltz's body and gives Ian documents to leave Portland. The episode ends as the police discover Waltz's body in the woods.
Reception
Viewers
The episode was viewed by 4.56 million people, earning a 1.4/4 in the 18-49 rating demographics on the Nielson ratings scale, ranking first on its timeslot and tying first for the night in the 18-49 demographics with Dateline NBC. This was a 9% decrease in viewership from the previous episode, which was watched by 4.96 from a 1.6/5 in the 18-49 demographics. This means that 1.4 percent of all households with televisions watched the episode, while 4 percent of all households watching television at that time watched it.
Critical reviews
"Cat and Mouse" received positive reviews. The A.V. Club's Les Chappell gave the episode a "B+" grade and wrote, "As the show gets into the last few episodes of its first season, it's been showing marked improvement in both those areas. I agree with Kevin that 'Love Sick' was one of the best episodes the show has done to date, able to resolve the long-running plot of Adalind Shade while advancing the development of lead characters Nick and Monroe. It's as if the continued signs of Grimms survival—first a full-season pickup, then a second season renewal — encouraged David Greenwalt and the writing staff to make it a show that deserved its new lease on life, or to at least take some more chances with the storytelling." Nick McHatton from TV Fanatic, gave a 4.5 star rating out of 5, stating: "Grimm expanded the looming danger tonight, peeling back even more of the layers of the Wesen world. 'Cat and Mouse' exposed a lot of the overarching mythology and what is driving some of the main players, while also illuminating why Nick is not your average, run-of-the-mill Grimm." Shilo Adams from TV Overmind wrote, "Grimm may not have had any major action or chase sequences in 'Cat and Mouse', but it became one of the more exciting installments to date, due heavily to the progress in the storyline and the places we're about to go with it. Eschewing the in-the-trenches police work for a little history, a great guest performance, and a twisty game of, yes, cat and mouse, the episode felt a little more cinematic than normal, which is a good sign heading forward. For the longest time, Grimm had been stuck in a certain mode, but recently, it's expanded the scope of what it can do visually and story-wise, something that could launch it from good to great in the upcoming second season. 'Cat and Mouse' feels like the episode that could propel that movement in terms of quality or, to put it in Jersey Shore terms, it's the episode before the episode."
